Daily Times

LAHORE: A resolution seeking blockade of blasphemous content and ban on social media was unanimously passed in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday.

The House also gave nod to constitute a parliamentary committee monitoring committee in this regard.

The joint resolution was tabled by Khadija Umar Farooqi, a female legislator the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) – in the House. The PML-Q moved a similar resolution in the Senate four days ago.

The resolution states that those involved in posting blasphemous content on social media want to create a chaos in the country. It demanded the federal government to establish a monitoring system to discourage such elements and block all such web pages and web links. “Exemplary punishment must be given to those who are involved in such heinous act,” the resolution demanded.

Before the passage of the resolution, several legislators, including Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Minister Affairs Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, Molvi Ghiasud Din, Dr Waseem Akhtar, Shanila Ruth, Umar Farooq, Mian Rafique, Javed Iqbal Gujar, Sardar Waqas Hasan Moakal, Dr Farzana, Arif Abasi and Main Aslam Iqbal also spoke and suggested the House to constitute a committee to monitor the religious material on the social media with the help of provincial and federal information technology departments on a regular basis. The chair said that the committee would be formed in 24 hours.

Dr Waseem Akhtar appreciated Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui for taking up the matter, and said that he had come to know that some lobbies had been activated against judge to remove him from his post.

Human Rights and Minority Affairs Minister Khalil Tahir Sindhu said, “The Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) deals with the capital punishment only for those culprits who use derogatory remarks against Holy Prophet (PBUH) but there is only two years punishment for those blasphemers who use derogatory remarks against other prophets or sacred personalities”.

However, the Punjab law minister said that the names of other prophets cold be included in the section 295-C to make the law more effective for all. Later, the house unanimously passed the resolution.

Punjab Assembly session started one hour and ten minutes late to its scheduled time at 10am with Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in the chair.

The House also passed two others resolutions – moved by Dr Waseem – seeking establishment of an industrial zone in Bahawalpur and a bridge on River Jehlum from Dr Malik Mukhtar.